EXPLORATIONS - New Communications Technology

EXPLORATIONS¹ - New Communications Technology
By Paul Thompson

Broadcast: Wednesday, February 25, 2004

(THEME)

VOICE ONE:

This is Faith Lapidus.

VOICE TWO:

 
A satellite² telephone also pictured with its receiver.
And this is Steve Ember with EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English. Today we tell about new technology that makes communication faster and easier.

(THEME)

VOICE ONE:

Our report begins high in the mountains of northern California's Shasta-Trinity National Forest. A man and his son have reached an area called Little Mount³ Hoffman. It is more than two-thousand meters high in the beautiful mountains.

The two are camping. They carry all their clothing, food, water and other things they need on their backs. They have come to this area of the great national park to enjoy the outdoors.

VOICE TWO:

It is late in the day and both are hungry. They build their camp for the night and cook their evening meal.

After their meal, the man reaches into his pack and pulls out a special kind of telephone. It can be used from anywhere on Earth. It does not use wires. It links with a system of satellites⁴ in orbit⁵ high above the Earth.

Minutes later, the man talks to a business partner in Japan. They discuss developments that are important to their company.

A few minutes later, the young boy uses the telephone to talk to his mother. She is at home, in Miami, Florida. He tells her not to worry. The two of them are having a good time. He tells her he will call again tomorrow night.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Satellite telephones are not really new. But now they can be used anywhere in the world. Also, satellite telephones were once very large. Now, they are not much larger than any other small telephone. And, they are no longer as costly⁶ as they once were.

 
A Delta⁷ rocket carrying an Iridium satellite into orbit.
A company called Iridium produces a satellite telephone. It also supplies the link to satellites. The Iridium company uses more than fifty satellites that provide communications for their telephones.

Iridium and several other companies in the United⁸ States offer satellite telephones for less than four-hundred dollars.

Most satellite telephone companies charge money each month for the service. They also charge money for each call made on the telephone.

VOICE TWO:

The satellite telephone is without equal as an emergency communications or business tool. It is possible to link a satellite telephone with a computer. The computer can be used to send large amounts of information very quickly to anywhere in the world.

The telephone can also be linked with cameras and video cameras that can link with computers. People who travel to Tibet⁹ to climb Mount Everest use this kind of technology. These mountain climbers have made the satellite telephone an important part of their equipment. They often use these special telephones to send photographs and videos and to talk to family members from the highest mountain in the world.

VOICE ONE:

The satellite telephone is only one of many new telephones that have recently appeared on the market. Perhaps the most changes have been made to the wireless¹⁰ cellular¹² or cell¹¹ phone. A cell telephone is very different from a satellite telephone. It can not be used in areas that do not have the necessary receiving equipment.

New cell phones can send voice communications, color photographs and written information called text messages. They can even receive electronic¹³ mail. Like the satellite telephone, the newest cellular telephones keep getting smaller.

In fact, the N-E-C Corporation¹⁴ announced recently that it will soon market the smallest camera-equipped¹⁵ cellular telephone. It is eighty-five millimeters¹⁶ wide and only eight-point-six millimeters thick. It weighs only seventy grams¹⁷. It has a color screen to show the photographs it takes and to show photographs that have been sent to it.

Critics¹⁸ of such devices²⁰ say they can be used to take photographs of people who do not know they are being photographed. However this has not stopped the sale of cell phones equipped with cameras.

VOICE TWO:

Gartner Dataquest is a research company in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Recently, Gartner Dataquest reported that more than five-hundred-million cell phones were sold around the world last year.

This number is far higher than what industry experts had expected. The Gartner company says they expect more than five-hundred-sixty-million new cell phones will be sold this year.

VOICE ONE:

Cellular telephones have become extremely²¹ common throughout²² the world. You can see people talking on cell phones as they walk along the street. You can see others talking on cell phones as they drive their vehicles²³.

They have become extremely popular in Asia. In two-thousand-two, Business Week Magazine reported that India had fewer than eight-million cell phone users²⁴. However, the magazine reported that the market for cellular telephones in India was growing at more than eighty percent each year.

The magazine said India will have forty-four-million cellular telephone users by two-thousand-six. India is reportedly becoming the third largest market for cell phones in Asia after China and Japan.

VOICE TWO:

Communication industry experts say Americans spent about one-hundred-thirty-thousand-million dollars on all wireless communications last year in the United States. Wireless means²⁵ communications devices that are not connected or linked to anything using a wire. This includes computers, cell phones, satellite telephones and other devices.

The experts say that by two-thousand-seven, Americans will spend more than one-hundred-ninety-thousand-million dollars each year on wireless communication.

The experts say wireless communication will continue to expand in the future. They say people will use wireless communications devices to play games and send fast messages. They may also be able to watch movies with a small hand-held device¹⁹.

VOICE ONE:

One company says it already produces a device that experts say will be part of the future. The device is called a Blackberry.

A Blackberry is a cellular telephone. It can also send and receive written messages. It has four different ways to send and receive electronic mail from the Internet communications system. A Blackberry has the same kind of keys as a typewriter to enter information. It has a memory that holds names and address information. It has a calendar and space for a list of tasks. It will immediately tell you if you have a phone call or e-mail message.

The Blackberry's cell phone can be used in almost any country. The newest Blackberry costs about three-hundred dollars. It costs about seventy dollars a month to be linked to the services that a communications company provides.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Radio technology has also improved recently. Many people have problems listening to the radio while driving long distances in their cars. They lose the broadcast signal²⁶ when they drive too far from a radio station.

Two American companies have solved that problem. They have made it possible to drive a car across the country and listen to the same radio station during the whole trip. The Sirius and X-M Satellite Radio companies broadcast their signal from a satellite in orbit.

The two companies provide more than one-hundred different programs. The choices include many kinds of music, like jazz, country and western, classical²⁷, hip-hop, rock and bluegrass. Their satellite communication system also provides news broadcasts twenty-four hours a day. The car radio that receives the satellite transmission²⁸ costs as little as one-hundred dollars. Both X-M and Sirius charge a small amount of money each month for their service.

VOICE ONE:

Communications experts say satellite telephones, cell phones, devices like the Blackberry and satellite radio are just the beginning.

The experts say new cell phones permit²⁹ users to watch television and to record and send video pictures. Still other devices will provide any kind of music on demand. These new devices are changing the way we do business, have fun and communicate with each other.

(THEME)

VOICE TWO:

This Special English program was written by Paul Thompson. It was produced by Mario Ritter. This is Steve Ember.

VOICE ONE:

And this is Faith Lapidus. Join us again next week for another EXPLORATIONS program on the VOICE OF AMERICA.

1 explorations   

探险旅行( exploration的名词复数 )； 搜寻； 考察； 勘探

参考例句：

• Our underwater explorations also helped to confirm the theory. 我们的水下考察也有助于证实这个理论。
• The geographical explorations had revealed the inadequacies of the existing maps. 地形勘查揭露出现有地图的不妥之处。

2 satellite   

n.卫星

参考例句：

• The moon is a satellite of the earth.月球是地球的一颗卫星。
• A man-made satellite has been launched.人造卫星上天。

3 mount   

n.山峰，乘用马，框，衬纸；vi.增长，骑上（马）；vt.提升，爬上，装备

参考例句：

• Their debts continued to mount up.他们的债务不断增加。
• She is the first woman who steps on the top of Mount Jolmo Lungma.她是第一个登上珠穆朗玛峰的女人。

4 satellites   

n.卫星( satellite的名词复数 )；人造卫星；卫星国；附庸国

参考例句：

• Many countries have sent up man-made satellites to circle the earth. 许多国家已经发射人造卫星围绕地球运转。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The previously unidentified objects have now been definitely ascertained as being satellites. 原来所说的不明飞行物现在已证实是卫星。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 orbit   

n.轨道；vt.使沿轨道运行；使进入轨道运行；vi.沿轨道运行，环行

参考例句：

• The space rocket was launched and went into orbit.宇宙火箭发射后进入轨道。
• We can draw the earth's orbit round the sun.我们可以画出地球绕太阳运行的轨迹。

6 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

7 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

8 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。

9 Tibet   

n.西藏

参考例句：

• It was the year before last that he went to Tibet.他前年去的西藏。
• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。

10 wireless   

adj.无线的；n.无线电

参考例句：

• There are a lot of wireless links in a radio.收音机里有许多无线电线路。
• Wireless messages tell us that the ship was sinking.无线电报告知我们那艘船正在下沉。

11 cell   

n.区，细胞，血球；小室，牢房；电池，光电管；基层组织

参考例句：

• Soap destroys the cell walls of bacteria.肥皂破坏细菌的细胞壁。
• They have locked the prisoners up in their cell.他们已把犯人监禁在小牢房里。

12 cellular   

adj.移动的；细胞的，由细胞组成的

参考例句：

• She has a cellular telephone in her car.她的汽车里有一部无线通讯电话机。
• Many people use cellular materials as sensitive elements in hygrometers.很多人用蜂窝状的材料作为测量温度的传感元件。

13 electronic   

adj.电子的；n.[-s]电子学，电子设备

参考例句：

• It is an electronic device with many uses.这是一部具有多种用途的电子仪器。
• Father needs a new electronic shaver.爸爸需要一个新的电子剃须刀。

14 corporation   

n.公司，企业&n.社团，团体

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation. 这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• The inflation did the corporation up. 通货膨胀使这个公司破产了。

15 equipped   

装备的

参考例句：

• The kitchen was compact but well equipped. 这间厨房虽然空间小但设备齐全。
• Rooms vary in size and come equipped with hairdriers, television and telephone. 房间大小不同，均配有吹风机、电视和电话。

16 millimeters   

n.毫米( millimeter的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The creature is a tiny centipede, just 10 millimeters long. 那个生物是一只很小的蜈蚣，只有10毫米长。 来自辞典例句
• This machine part was built to a tolerance of 0.01 millimeters. 这一机器部件的制造公差是0.01毫米。 来自辞典例句

17 grams   

n.克( gram的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• People were existing on a hundred grams of bread a day. 人一天靠100克面包就能继续存活。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The gross weight of the box of chocolates is 500 grams. 那盒巧克力的全部重量是500克。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 critics   

n.批评家( critic的名词复数 )；评论员；批评者；挑剔的人

参考例句：

• He felt no animosity towards his critics. 他对批评他的人并不心怀怨恨。
• The move was widely seen as an attempt to appease critics of the regime. 普遍认为，这一举措是试图安抚批评政权的人。

19 device   

n.器械，装置；计划，策略，诡计

参考例句：

• The device will be in production by the end of the year.该装置将于年底投入生产。
• The device will save much time and effort for us.这种装置会使我们节省大量时间和气力。

20 devices   

n.设备；装置( device的名词复数 )；花招；（为实现某种目的的）计划；手段

参考例句：

• electrical labour-saving devices around the home 节省劳力的各种家用电器
• modern labour-saving devices such as washing machines and dishwashers 诸如洗衣机和洗碗机之类的现代化省力设备

21 extremely   

adv.极其，非常，极度

参考例句：

• The film is extremely good,I just cannot miss it.这部电影太精彩了，我非看不可。
• The old man was extremely difficult to get along with.这个老人极难相与。

22 throughout   

adv.到处，自始至终；prep.遍及，贯穿

参考例句：

• These magazines are sold at bookstores throughout the country.这些杂志在全国各地书店均有发售。
• Guilin is known throughout the world for its scenery.桂林以山水著称于世。

23 vehicles   

n.运载工具；传播媒介；（为展露演员才华而）特意编写的一出戏（或电影等）；[画]展色剂；交通工具( vehicle的名词复数 )；车辆；传播媒介；手段

参考例句：

• There is not much clearance for vehicles passing under this bridge. 车辆在这座桥下通过时没有多少余隙。
• to carry out random spot checks on vehicles 对车辆进行抽检

24 users   

用户，使用者( user的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The new software will prove a boon to Internet users. 这种新软件将会对互联网用户大有益处。
• Ramps should be provided for wheelchair users. 应该给轮椅使用者提供坡道。

25 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

26 signal   

n.信号，暗号

参考例句：

• This is a signal failure.这是明显的失败。
• A train must not pass a signal that is at danger.火车切不可越过危险信号。

27 classical   

adj.古典的；古典文学的；正统派的；古典主义的

参考例句：

• This classical poem is hard to understand.这首古诗很费解。
• She listens to classical music for relaxation.她听古典音乐放松。

28 transmission   

n.播送，发射，传送，传递，传染

参考例句：

• When the transmission is good,foreign stations can be heard.在传送情况良好时，以收到外国电台。
• The letter was delayed in transmission.这封信在传递中被耽误了。

29 permit   

n.许可证，许可，执照；vt.允许，容许；vi.容许

参考例句：

• The doctor will not permit mother up until her leg is better.在母亲的腿好些之前,医生不允许她起床。
• The soldiers had orders to permit no stranger through.士兵们接到命令不许任何陌生人通过。